Kitimat, B.C.- The federal Government has approved a long term export licence to LNG Canada Development Inc for the  exporting of liquefied natural gas from the terminal proposed by the Shell consortium in Kitimat.

It is a 25 year  licence,  that will allow LNG Canada to export up to 24 million tonnes of  LNG  annually.   According to the Federal Government,  if this project and the four other proposed LNG projects for B.C. go forward, they could generate more than $1 trillion in economic activity over the next 30 years.

"The Haisla people are pleased to see today’s announcement and a further step forward in this project," said Chief Ross. "We are excited by the economic opportunities presented by the project and what those benefits will mean to improving the lives of our people and helping us stand on our own. We appreciate the relationship we have with Shell and look forward to working closely with the project, Canada and B.C. as Canada establishes strong marine protection safeguards and capabilities."

LNG Canada is a joint venture comprising Shell, Korea Gas Corp., Mitsubishi Corp. and PetroChina International.

"Shell and our partners in LNG Canada – KOGAS, Mitsubishi, and PetroChina – are very pleased about today’s announcement," said Anders Ekvall, Shell’s Vice-President of LNG Americas. "This is an important project for our respective companies and for British Columbia and Canada. It will support the diversification and growth of Canada’s energy markets, and we are committed to developing this project in a way that creates socio-economic benefits for the Haisla and other First Nations, B.C. and Canada. We also recognize this important milestone is just one of the major regulatory approvals that will be required to make the project a reality."

The other steps  yet to be  taken include  an environmental assessment.